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How many have landed on a Saturday and what was your wait time at immigration?

We are arriving on Saturday the 25th around 1:48 pm. In previous years we have arrived on a Sunday, Monday and not had a long wait in line at immigration. I've been reading about the wait times on a Saturday and am deciding whether to book MoBay Club on arrival. We will have a limo waiting for us on arrival, so there won't be a wait for the shuttle........but now I'm wondering if we should book MoBay Club to get out of immigration faster and to the limo. Interested in your thoughts on this.

It depends upon the time of arrival and whether or not you are traveling during peak season. The lines get longer just after noon. We arrived at 12:40 on a Saturday last March and were so happy we reserved MoBay - the lines were at least 2 hours long. We did not need it when traveling in November.

It all depends on other arrivals of course. Lat April we landed about 3 pm, the place was deserted. Other times it's taken an hour or more to get through. You can check the site flightstats.com a day ahead I believe and decide.

Hi GE - we are arriving on 1/25, too. Our plane gets in at 12:30. This will be our first time to arrive on a Saturday, too. If there is a limo waiting for you, I think that's even more reason to book Club Mobay. I was on the fence about booking Club Mobay, but we decided to do it. As another poster noted, I would definitely be more upset if I did not book Club Mobay and needed as opposed to booking Club Mobay and not needing it.

We usually arrive on Fri. Two years ago we did a Sat. and immigration took about 2 hrs. About the same time as you, 1:30. They had the escalator turned off because the line began on it! We're doing a Sat. this year, and I'm going with the Club.

We always come in on Saturday.. We ALWAYS use Club mobay... It's worth every penny! Its a crap shoot but Im at Tower Isle having my first or third Red Stripe and anyone in line at Mobay is just leaving the airport.

Traffic through Sangster International Airport will vary depending upon the time of year, day and time. For example I know that the airline I use will be adding a direct flight later on this month. This is only one airline from one city. I bet other airlines will be adding flights as tourist season really starts to kick in.

There is a way to get a clue. Better than asking on this forum. Use the Sangster International website. Start checking the arrivals. Do this every day but really pay attention on the on Saturday, the day you arrive. Look and see how many flights are arriving within 30 minutes or so of your arrival. Figure on an average of 150 people per flight. Multiply the number of flights arriving 30 minutes before your flight by 150. For example, if there are 8 flights arriving within 30 minutes before your flight, there is a good chance there will be 1050 people waiting to pass through Immigration and Customs before you.

For us, this is exactly what we found. Currently there averages about 8 flights arriving within 30 minutes of our flight on the day we arrive. The last time we went to Couples it was about the same time of the year on the same day of the week. The line for Immigration and Customs started on the ramp going down to that area. We waited in line for about 2 1/2 hours. This time we are going to try Club MOBAY.

Thanks everyone for your comments. I did book Club MoBay this morning after I started the thread and before I saw all these comments. Now I am so glad I did. I was a little nervous when my agent said she would have to check for availability, but she got us booked. Even if the lines are short when we get there, I would rather that happen than not book it and walk into a huge sea of bodies standing in those lines. I will be so much more relaxed arriving than before when we charged off the plane and headed to Customs.
BobandJudy, are you going to CSA?

One more question: Where does the Club MoBay representative meet you? at the plane when you depart or at immigration? Are they on time waiting, or has anyone had to wait for them to arrive? Since this will be the first time using the service, just wanted to know what to expect. Thanks.

cortal, as I stated, we usually go on Fri. and arrive around 1:30. Some years there has been a wait of 45 min. or so, but this past year the wait was 5 min. if that. We ended up waiting longer for our bags than at immigration. 10 am. should be good, but as others have stated, check flightstats.com.

cortal, as I stated, we usually go on Fri. and arrive around 1:30. Some years there has been a wait of 45 min. or so, but this past year the wait was 5 min. if that. We ended up waiting longer for our bags than at immigration. 10 am. should be good, but as others have stated, check flightstats.com.

We arrived around 2:00PM on saturday Nov. 23rd and it took 15 minutes to clear immigration. The maze was full but it moved very quickly.

Originally Posted by Ge

We are arriving on Saturday the 25th around 1:48 pm. In previous years we have arrived on a Sunday, Monday and not had a long wait in line at immigration. I've been reading about the wait times on a Saturday and am deciding whether to book MoBay Club on arrival. We will have a limo waiting for us on arrival, so there won't be a wait for the shuttle........but now I'm wondering if we should book MoBay Club to get out of immigration faster and to the limo. Interested in your thoughts on this.

Hi GE - we are heading to CSA! Bob should be easy to spot - one of our friends got him a Montreal Expos baseball cap and he has been saving it to wear at CSA. He's a little weird like that. We will definitely be in the Martini Bar Saturday night, so maybe we will see you there!

Also, I was told that that there will be a designated area before customs and immigration where the Club MoBay rep will meet us. They go over your forms before you go through immigration and make sure they are filled out properly. I know what you mean about not having to do the mad dash from the plane in order to get into the immigration line. This way we can just take our time walking down the ramps.

Hi GE - we are heading to CSA! Bob should be easy to spot - one of our friends got him a Montreal Expos baseball cap and he has been saving it to wear at CSA. He's a little weird like that. We will definitely be in the Martini Bar Saturday night, so maybe we will see you there!

Also, I was told that that there will be a designated area before customs and immigration where the Club MoBay rep will meet us. They go over your forms before you go through immigration and make sure they are filled out properly. I know what you mean about not having to do the mad dash from the plane in order to get into the immigration line. This way we can just take our time walking down the ramps.

After you disembark the plane you will see the club mobay representative at the bottom of the first ramp with a paddle with your name on it. She/he will then check to make sure you have filled out your immigration papers correctly. He/She will then escort you through immigration to baggage claim then through customs then finally to the club Mobay lounge which is next to the couples lounge....enjoy

We arrived around 12:30 on Saturday, January 4th and were having the same fears as you. However, the lines were not bad at all! It maybe took us 30 minutes to get through immigration and customs. The longest we have ever had to wait is probably and hour. I really think it all depends on timing and whether several plans land at the same time. In my opinion, Club MoBay does not seem work it. You made it to Jamaica. You have to wait for the shuttle anyways. So, in the end you may save half and hour. I would rather spend my money on actually doing something in Jamaica. Just my opinion, however.

Thanks again for everyone's comments............I'm ready ! Since we have not arrived on a Saturday for the past several years, and after reading the posts about the wait time, booking Club MoBay gives me peace of mind that we will get through the process quickly.......whether there is a wait or not. One week to go ! Getting through this week is like waiting in the customs line.......aaaggghhh. Wish I had a Club MoBay for this week.

We have always arrived on Saturdays. It has taken us on an average 1 hour to get outside. Last year there was not one plane ahead of us. We went through the lines so quick that we had to wait on our luggage. They are used to handling large crowds and when it is busy, the lines will still move at a good pace.

Must be the time of year. There was a club MoBay rep when we disembarked from our flight in July. We were at the immigration desk the same time they were. The Arrival club is right next to Couples' Lounge and the people on our fight using Club MoBay were on the same shuttle as us. I had looked into booking it, but decided to take a chance.

We typically land Sat afternoon and it is a gamble! It depends on the timing of the arrival of your flight compared to the other arrivals. Sometimes we've made it through in 10 minutes, sometimes there has been an hour wait. We have found that the airport has more agents and wickets open during this busy season, especially on a Saturday, and they tend to move the lines along quite quickly now compared to 3-4 years ago.

If you are on a budget and/or want to save the $$ for rum cream and other treats/excursions, I would just brave the lines and take the gamble.